Holiday Inn Resort, Penang: The Hotel with 2 Playlabs!

Over the National Day long weekend, we escaped to Penang for a short 3D2N family trip to visit the kids’ paternal Grandma and took the chance to check out one of Penang’s most kid-friendly hotels at Batu Ferringhi.

Here’s a video which gives an overview of our stay at the Holiday Inn Resort, Penang.

Not just 1 but 2 Playlabs!

“The kids just don’t want to leave…they just want to play!” remarked a staff member as we were trying to peel our two kids away from the Playlab for our dinner…I don’t really blame them! Here at Holiday Inn Resort Penang, there is not just one but two big Playlabs – a kids’ club of sorts, designed specially for kids! Better still, the two Playlabs are differentiated for two general age groups – Preschool Age and Primary School Age. How cool? Both Playlabs look spanking new, very inviting and well-stocked with craft and games to occupy the kids.

The Playlab at the Feringghi Tower is catered for older kids and is about twice the size of the Preschool Playlab. It has a makeshift ‘rock-climbing’ slope that leads to a tree house with a a slide that slides down to a ball pit – a hit with the kids! Below the tree is a tunnel lit by UV lights, right next to it is a little room filled with Lego bricks for the kids to engage in some imaginative-play. A smart projector throws an interactive game for the kids to play using their shadow. Not far is also an interactive table with a drawing software that allows the older kids to indulge in some digital drawings. In fact, the entire room just oozes with vibes of creativity, experimentation and play.

The Beach Tower houses the Playlab suitable for preschoolers. Situated next to the hotel pool, it comes complete with a tree house with adorable toadstools that double as cosy reading caverns. At the other side of the room are book shelves with two tree holes cut into the wall, decorated like trees for kids to sit within to read. Very imaginative and cosy. In the center of the room is a large table for children’s art and craft /Lego activities. Both Playlabs are in a class of its own! No wonder the kids can spend hours there and still find it so reluctant to leave.

Both Playlabs are manned by staff who would supervise the kids as they play. Occasionally, movies or cartoons are shown. Do note that there may be a slight language barrier with the staff as some are proficient only in basic English so it’s recommended for at least 1 parent to keep a watchful eye over their activities. However, at the Holiday Inn Resort Penang, play is not just confined to the Playlabs only –there are plenty of fun outside too!

Onsite Kids’ Activities:

A range of wholesome activities for families are featured during the weekend afternoons at the poolside. Today it is kite-making out on the lawn. One staff member was showing the kids how kites are made in the traditional way. In addition, there are seasonal pool games and lots of water sports options along the beach.

Hop On-Hop Off…and Hop in!

The Hop On and Hop Off (HOHO) bus is a fuss-free, convenient way to travel around Penang with two routes that ply the beach area and city area respectively. We found out that there is a HOHO bus stop right outside the hotel so we took the HOHO Bus across two days to visit two of the latest attractions in Penang, namely:

1) The TOP at KOMTAR: Penang’s latest attraction at the heart of Georgetown itself. There we were able to see and experienced an indoor amusement park of sorts which includes the following:

o Jurassic Research Center where we could see a wide-range of life-sized dinosaurs in a ‘research lab’ setting.

o The Rainbow Skywalk where we walked on the ‘see-through’ bridge 60-over stories above Penang!

o An Indoor Kids Playground (Dino Gym)

o An exciting carnivalwith simulator rides and old school carnival games

Note: To reach KOMTAR, we took the Beach route to Gurney Drive where we switched over to the City route. The entire route before reaching Komtar took us through large parts of the city and the major city sights including Penang Hill station. The total journey took us about 2 hours. We started in the morning and reached Komtar in time for the opening times of the Top around 11am. The return trip was much shorter and took half the time.

2) Entopia: A world-class sanctuary for butterflies and insects! This newly opened attraction is highly educational and features a wide range of insects in their natural habitats. The whole place is so engaging!

With the HOHO Bus, we were able to say goodbye to the costs and hassle of getting a taxi. Read more about our experience of the HOHO Bus from our previous post or from the HOHO Bus website. Note: The HOHO Bus journey from hotel to Entopia took about 20 minutes. For more details, visit Entopia’s website.

Recreational and Dining Facilities

With the kids gainfully occupied, we adults then can take things easier and enjoy some of the facilities around this iconic Batu Feringghi hotel. Aside from the two Playlabs, the hotel has the following facilities for guests to rest, relax and reconnect:

– A spacious gym with state-of –the art exercise equipment,
– A pool that is big enough for a myriad of activities
– A lap pool for the younger kids
– A games area the 1st floor of the Feringghi Tower where guests can play either a variety of games or just lounge around comfortably watching their favorite cable channel
– An in-house spa

Dining:

The Terrace Café is the main restaurant of the resort. Situated at the Beach Tower, it is the ‘go to’ place for meals throughout the day. The buffet spread during breakfast has a mix of continental, western and local cuisine. Our favorite during our stay was the Nasi Lemak and Roti Canai. During our stay, the dinner buffet was serving Indian cuisine ranging from North to South Indian. We were excited, as it was a cuisine that we seldom get to try at home. The chefs themselves were there to meet and greet the guests as we dine.

We love the myriad of curries and the especially the Tandoori Chicken which was delectable – not overcooked, succulent with a smokey hint from the tandoor oven. Just as we were impressed with the chicken and curries, the chef impressed us even more with his Butter Chicken served with fresh Garlic Naans – this sealed the ‘deal’ for us: chicken cooked so well in butter based curry that it exudes the subtle taste of the herbs. The savoury Garlic Naan was one of the best we’ve tasted. I could go back there just for this alone! For desserts, we were recommended the Galub Jamun – sweet dough balls cooked warm and cold served in sweet syrup. The chef recommended that we try the hot version with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream. It was heavenly!

During both breakfast and dinner, the service was brisk and personable. Do note that the Terrace is across the road at the Beach Tower so allow some time to walk across and back if your room is at the Feringghi Tower. During peak hours, the restaurant can be teeming with families – a testament of the popularity of the resort among family travellers in the region.

The Rooms:

We stayed in the Family Suite at the Feringghi Tower. The room was a large room partitioned comfortably into two. One side had a King-sized bed while the other had two single beds. There was enough space to put in a 3rd single bed for the kids’ Paternal Grandma who came over to spend some time with her Grandkids.

The décor and furnishings of the room had a retro feel but the beddings were comfortable and clean. The room boasts of modern amenities including LCD TVs and even PlayStation 3 set for the kids (with 3 games included with the room). The bathroom is large with a feel reminiscent of the 80s. But it had a complete set of bathroom amenities including a set especially for the kids. The room came with a balcony but some construction work over at the nearby hillside marred the scenery slightly.

A Note to the GM:

This is a new feature in our hotel reviews where we sum up our stay in a short blurb highlighting the areas we enjoyed as well as areas, which we felt needed some attention. We enjoyed the warm hospitality accorded to us at the Holiday Inn Resort, Penang and are fond of the facilities and amenities that cater especially to children.

A few points to note however. The décor and furnishing in and around the hotel, including the rooms, though clean and comfortable, seem slightly dated. We hear that the hotel has plans to carry out refurbishment in phases and we look forward to see the hotel being given a new lease of life in the near future.

Another area of suggestion is that the two hotel towers are linked by a pedestrian bridge stretching across the busy Batu Ferringhi road. Families who are travelling with young kids (in strollers) and guests with mobility issues (e.g. the aged or disabled) should be given special priority to be housed in rooms at the Beach Wing (where the main restaurant is located). This will save them the hassle of negotiating the stairs of the pedestrian bridge when crossing over to use the key facilities, including its main restaurant, found only at the Beach wing. Alternatively, the hotel could provide a complimentary trishaw or buggy service to bring guests back to the Tower Wing.

The two new Playlabs are a big hit with kids so kudos for this new addition. Perhaps you might want to provide the option for parents to pre-order Kids’ Lunch (from the Kids’ Menu) upon drop off should they want to leave their kids in the Playlabs across meal times. The convenience of having HOHO Bus Stop right in front of the hotel offers families like us easy access to major tourist spots of Penang. For free and easy family travellers, the Holiday Inn Resort Penang serves as an affordable and safe accommodation choice to rest, reconnect and discover Penang. So Dear GM, thank you for this unforgettable experience. We’ll be back!

Full Disclosure: We were invited to stay at the resort for the purposes of this review. All photos and opinions are, as usual, authentically ours. Do check out our other Penang Post ‘Penang with a Penangite‘ where we share more family-friendly ideas for a fantastic Penang holiday:

EXCLUSIVE GIVEAWAY!

Thanks to our sponsor, 1 loyal reader will get to win A 3 day 2 nights Stay in a Family Suite (for family) at the Holiday Inn Resort Penang!

The giveaway ends Friday 24 November 2017, 11.59pm (Singapore Time) and is open to readers worldwide. The winner will be contacted using the email address provided when entering this draw and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. All entries will be verified before the winner is announced, incomplete and unverified entries will be disqualified. Please note that all Facebook and Instagram accounts (e.g. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no authentic posts or very few real friends) will be disqualified.

Terms and Conditions:

The prize is a 3 day 2 nights stay in a Family Suite (for family) at the Holiday Inn Resort Penang.

The prize includes complimentary breakfast for 2 adults and 2 children who are below 12 years old.

The prize validity will be from 1st December 2017 to 31 May 2018 (excluding peek periods such as Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year)

Subject to availability at time of booking.

Please email the resort to book the room at least 14 working days before check-in.

Prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash.

Air tickets and hotel transfers are not included.

The sponsor reserves the right to change the terms without prior notice.

Tourism tax will be charged accordingly (for non Malaysians) RM10 per room per night to be paid at the reception counter upon check-in.

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Comments

When we travel as a family few things we would usually look out for are the room size, the accessibility and cleanliness! Hope to win so we could visit my families in Penang and savour all the yummy food!

When booking for a family holiday, i look for family friendly hotel with clean and spacious rooms.
I will like to win this giveaway for our family year end holiday to let our family bond and have a good time before we welcome the new year.

We look out for a hotel that is reasonably priced and centrally located so it will be convenient to travel to in and around town. Hope to win to have a break from work and the kids, a break after the exams. Penang is not that far and is an ideal place to eat, explore and relax!

We would look out for accessibility and most importantly loads of fun activities for the kids for them to enjoy their holidays. There are many fun and interesting museums in Penang to visit. It would be a great opportunity to visit the Penang Peranakan Mansion museum and learnt about their culture.

Very detailed and descriptive write up about your trip to Penang! Hope to also have a chance to bring my family there too! With a 5 and coming to 3 year old and a darling wife, my preference for the hotel is to be accessible, convenient and family friendly. Would be a fantastic bonus of course if the room had a bath tub! lol!

Thank you for the detailed blog post 😊 I didn’t know that there is so much to explore in Penang and I am very impress after the read. I always look for family friendly hotel stay as I had a big family and small kids so it is my best consider that the kids enjoyed their stay!! Thanks for giving us a chance to win this awesome trip.

Thanks for teaming up with Holiday inn resort Penang for this giveaway. We always look for hotels that are affordable with kids friendly facilities and activities for family holidays. I want to win this because we want our kids to explore the nature and rustic that Penang seaside brings as well as the rich culture that Penang has. Penang is great as a weekend getaway for us.

the location must be nearby to airport so that we can spend more time around rather then to waste timw travelling to the airport on the returning day.
hotel must be affordable and kids friendly where there are facilities meant for kids of all ages.

FB: joanna tan
We had a short family trip to Penang last year. We love to go back again before Baby Twinkle comes next year! For hotel, we look for kids friendly hotel,
Preferably near nice eatery. We hope to try out holiday inn as it has everything my family needs and more !!

The hotel should have child-friendly amenities like pull-out/sofa beds, play area and have varied dining options. A swimming pool with slides would be a bonus.

Your trip looks super fun! No need to crack our heads over how to keep the kids occupied, it looks more like the headache would be how to get them to leave the place! So many fun places to visit like the Dino gym for my son and butterfly garden for my girl!

I look for hotels near public transport especially train stations as I want to be able to travel conveniently to and fro from the hotel with my family. Also, if it can be near entertainment and dining areas, it would be the best.

I need a break with this vacation as I have not taken a vacation yet this year.

We always on the lookout for places that will suit my girl when we travel coz she is our priorities. Gone are days when we went holidays on our own. She had never been to Penang before and from your blog articles, i find that it is such a nice place for a short getaway.

Thanks to your blog! 2 playlabs and a big swimming pool! Who can resist that!? It’s been more than a decade since I went to Batu Ferringhi although I would bring my two kiddos back to Penang, my beloved hometown once or twice a year! If I’m lucky enough to win this giveaway, Holiday Inn Resort will be the best place to hold a family gathering for both my Singapore and Penang family. Thanks a bundle!!!

Hi there! Thanks for sharing this very detailed post of your trip!
When booking, I would definitely factor in the space of the rooms, the cleanliness and the convenience to travel with the children. Having a playlab will be a bonus bcos that way the children will always have something to do during the trip if we decided to stay in during bad weather.
Would be really great to win this as we have not been to any holidays for a while. Being a stay at home mother and on single income, this kind of tripa are a luxury and sometimes we have to forgo it for something else more important. Would really love to win this for a family trip!

When it comes to family holiday, I would want to stay in a hotel which is family friendly, easy-access fun and provides non-stop entertainment for the whole family. Holiday Inn Resort Penang would be the perfect choice to accommodate all the above mentioned.

When we book a hotel stay when travelling, our top priority is to ensure that its close to public transport and definitely, there must be facilities for all 4 of us: Playroom(s) for kids, lounges and massages for adults =P

This giveaway came at the right time as my husband has been wanting to visit Penang with all the interesting places of interest that he has noticed through Facebook advertisements and definitely not forgetting your blog post about your family trip to Penang! I think he will be one happy man if I managed to win this for our family! =P
Most importatly, I think its a good gift for my 2 kids (P4 and P2) who have worked really hard for their recent SA2 and have gotten fabulous results! We are so proud of their efforts and this gift, if we are fortunate to win, will also serve as an encouragement trip for them. They are the love of our life!!!

Irregardless of whether we will win it or not, thanks for always sharing your good parenting tips and good fun to go to for families. Thanks for having this giveaway!

We look for spaciousness in the rooms for the little ones, areas for play within the hotel and definitely good breakfast spreads and we were so excited to see that Penang has such a resort and we can conveniently use the HoHo bus to get around the town. We would especially love to bring Reuel our dino lover to the Jurassic Research Centre when we visit Penang!

When booking a hotel for family holidays, it needs to be near the spots which we plan to visit, preferably within walking distance. Or in places like Bangkok, preferably within walking distance of the MRT stations. The hotel needs to be clean and cosy, while fitting into our budget.

I hope to win this stay at the Holiday Inn Resort Penang, so that we can enjoy a cozy family trip before I start work again after the birth of our youngest.

I always look at the facilities of the hotel because if there is nothing out there, at least we have something to do for e.g. swimming. The location of the hotel is also important, so that we can walk on foot to explore places. I want to win win because my family have not been to anywhere for a long time, since my hubby is the sole bread winner and we have to tighten our belts. Let us have a good time!

When doing research to book hotels, I rely on blog posts like yours for recommendation. I look for comfort, child friendly facilities, good breakfast buffet spread and accessible.

I would like to win this giveaway because it has been awhile for my family to go on a holiday. Our family holiday would be extra fun with our 5 months old this time around. We enjoyed our Penang stay 5 years back, and we definitely look forward to a brand new experience with Holiday Inn. I particularly look forward to the Playlab and the accessibility of the Hopon Hopoff bus!My boy would love the Playlab and we would surely visit the destinations of the bus trail.

Fb: Heng shu chin
Most important thing for me when i pick hotels for a family vacation is the toilet!! Because everyone needs a nice clean place to do their business 😂 Would love to win this for a family vacation and as a short break from work!

I have 4 kids, safety and family friendly activities are my main considerations when booking a hotel for our family holidays.

I would like to win the fabulous getaway to Penang because the description in the blog really spells what we are looking for in a getaway. Its not too costly (with 4 kids, we dont have much budget), beautiful scenery and many family friendly activities!

Factors which we consider when sourcing for hotel:
*location-prefer centrally located and near to eateries/shops/places of interest
*accesible via public transport
*cleanliness
*kids or family friendly hotel
*Affordable
*Facilities such as swimming pool as my 2 preschooler kids love swimming.

Hope to win this awesome stayacation at Penang as we love the food, culture, heritage,places of interest at Penang.
It will be a great getaway for our family for four as my hubby and I have been preoccupied with work while the kids are hardworking and obedient. This god send stayacation will allow us to spend more time with our daughter and son. It will be an awesome family bonding trip where we work hard and it’s time for us to play equally hard as a close knitted family.😊

When searching/booking for hotel, we are looking for
1. Family family hotel
2. Affordable price
3. Cleaness of the hotel
4. Location, is it near and convenient to reach tourist attractive place
5. Food, kids friendly

I would like to win this giveaway because I love the down-to-earth culture at Penang, it is peaceful and natural, a perfect place to untied away from busy city life, just soak and relax on the wonderful oriental pearl land.
Beside that, this is a great chance to show my sons about the Penang history by bringing them visit some of the historical landmark. I believe they will love the snake temple.
Of course not to forget about the nice food at Penang. Missed Penang Asam Laksa, fried Koay teow and many more nice food.

Hope to win for a nice break from our busy workload, to recharge and have a better and fresh start after the trip. 😀🎉⛱

We have not been to Penang and by reading this post makes me so tempted to bring my kids there.

We always look out for the spaciousness of the room and location of the hotel whenever we book for a holiday , as a family of 4, we cannot split rooms at the moment so spacious rooms is important.
I m amazing by the activities at Penang. Always thought it was a boring place like the rest of Malaysia. (Oops!) U make it sounds so fun..

Name: Susan Tan
Email: susantan1506@gmail.com
I will look out for activities and convenience in the hotel/ resort and around it. I love to stay in hotel Inn resort penang because it is a quiet, beautiful and convenience place.

There are lots to be considered when choosing accommodation for holidays with kids. First and foremost, accessibility and proximity to places of interest that we are going to visit during our trip. Then I will consider how kids-friendly the hotel/resort is. I absolutely love family rooms with themes and bunk beds for kids. It’s something that my kids always enjoy. Comfort is very important. We tend to spend more hours in the hotel as kids don’t have the stamina to be out for the entire day so it will be good to have a nice pool with a view too.
Your blog tend to influence my holiday destination. I remembered that we went Penang a few years back after you recommended a few places on your blog. Can’t believe that Penang has so many more new exciting attractions. Would love to revisit this quaint beach town soon. This year I have chosen Hokkaido after seeing all your IG posts and we are staying at Keio Sapporo based on your recommendation. Trust your QC so I closed my eyes and booked. Iceland will be our next destination too.

Thanks for sharing and for the giveaway… We usually book through Agoda or AirBnB or IHG Rewards Apps depending on location of our holiday. Penang is always one of our favourite and I really love their cendol, the gula Melaka is Soo good! Thanks for the giveaway and finger crossed.

As parent to young children, the ideal hotel we look for will be a hotel that is clean, safe & accessible. The plus points we are looking at will be the family oriented facilities. Love reading this detailed review. The Playlabs definitely caught our eye as it is so thoughtful to have 2 different playlab for different age kids. It is a good place to let the kids play on days where we will want to just chill & relax in the hotel. The Hop On and Hop Off (HOHO) bus is also another plus point we really love. As we dun drive, the accessibility to travel around the island is definitely helpful.
Hope to be lucky to bring the kids for an enjoyable family vacation bonding without breaking the bank.
Thank you

The hotel’s facilities and room are our top priority concern, we prefer places that are kid’s friendly but must also not lack of quiet corners for us to spend time alone and oh, we love to eat so having good eateries and restaurant in the hotel and around the vicinity would be a bonus!

Our little princess has fallen sick when we went to Penang two years ago. It was supposed to be birthday surprise trip for her but instead of celebrating, the poor girl spent the holiday confined on bed so it is always her wish to revisit Penang and I hope to make her wish come true with this stay at the Holiday Inn Resort Penang.

Thanks for this well informative fun filled blog that you had erased and created my wrong concept of just food in Penang , now I know where I can plan and bring my little ones for a real fun filled kids vacation that hey can enjoy in Penang!!
Hope this can be our very first family Penang Holiday ! Love the 2 Playlabs that cater to different age group and plus the fun interactive game that we can enjoy in the comfort of the room !
Not forgetting the sumptuous spread of Food!!

When looking for a hotel that’s perfect for a trip, it’s important to have the correct amenities and top quality service that most of us will definitely need. I believe that Holiday Inn has never failed to provide us with this, especially since it has the best facilities and comfort we truly seek! There are also some important factors that determine where I would like to stay in when I am planning for a trip, and one of them is the location that matters the most as its the accessibility that allows us to head to the place we usually frequent often at least! The perfect location is where there are many exciting activities, places to take photos and places to shop!

I would love to bring my mom along with me to this exciting trip, as she has sacrificed way too much for me , raising me up from ground zero without ever giving up or quit! This is why I would love to take her along for this trip, especially with her birthday slowly closing in! This is why I would love to surprise her with this, as she simply means a lot to me, she deserves many more folds than what she has given me, as she is my lovely irreplaceable mom who I will always love wholeheartedly!

I look for comfort when booking a hotel for my family, because a holiday is meant to be relaxing, and it’s the time to get a good rest!

I would love to win this because I have never been to Penang, but have heard great things about it, so I wanna see for myself the marvels of Penang. Of course, a great comfortable room to top it off would be awesome!

I look for hotels with good reviews and with lots of activities for kids as I have 3 active little boys in my family!

I would love to win this for my family as we have never gone overseas as a family.. Penang would be a great place to start out first.. With this hotel and the kids friendly activities we can do as a family, I’m sure we will have a great first family vacation! With the eldest boy putting in so much effort for his SA2, I think it is a treat well deserved!

I look for hotel with positive reviews and good accessibility. I’ve never been to Penang and after reading your review on all the wonderful activities my boys can enjoy, I’m starting to wonder what I’ve been missing out by not having a holiday to Penang 🙂 it sure sounds fuss free and fun with 2 playlabs and the HOHO bus service right at the doorstep! Thank you for organising this lovely giveaway for a great time of bonding.

That’s the most comprehensive detailing of all the fun activities in one blogpost. Looks fabulous and my little dude is going to love the playlabs. Have participated ardently and hope to make it through!

“There’s no place like home” when we are bring 2 young kids out for a holiday! with that in mind, we preferred the hotel that is convenient, clean, easily accessible , affordable and kids friendly.

our “excited-long-term planned trip” to Penang was affected due to the recent flood, apart from the financial lost, our eldest kids was disappointed. (hopefully we are able to fulfill our promise with your help)

When booking a hotel for my family, I will look for kid friendly facilities or environment and then look at the pool and finally the pricing.

Hoping to win this stay as we have never been to Penang even though we have heard lots of fun stories about it! Now looking through your pics just make us more determined to at least make a trip down no matter whether we win or not!

WHEN BOOKING A VENUE FOR HOLIDAY, WE LOOK FOR EASY ACCESSIBILITY, REASONABLE PRICES, NICE FOOD AND BEVERAGE AND WET WEATHER PROGRAM( IN CASE OF WET WEATHER, CAN BE OCCUPIED IN VENUE) ; WOULD BE NICE TO RE- VISIT PENANG AS WE ENJOYED HER FOOD AND BEVERAGE THE LAST TIME WE VISITED: ) !

I look out for the location of the hotel so that I can have easy access to the places of interest that I wish to visit.

My sisiter in law is from Penang and each time, she visit her hometown,she will bring back lots of goodies for us. She had been raving of all the places of interest and food in Penang. Therefore we already had plans to visit Penang during one of the long weekend in 2018. As we had been to Holiday Inn Phuket previously, I am sure we will have a ball of a time staying at Holiday Inn Resort Penang.

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'Life's Tiny Miracles' is a collection of our experiences and reflections about parenthood. It also documents the beautiful and trying moments of everyday life - family, friendship, faith, food, travels, books and all other experiences that shape us, delight us, and help us appreciate life's tiny miracles.